How to get a car accident report in South Dakota

South Dakota provides crash reports statewide through South Dakota Office of Accident Records — online crash report purchase (safesd.gov) — including crashes handled by local police and county sheriffs.

Official source

South Dakota Office of Accident Records — online crash report purchase (safesd.gov)

Official South Dakota crash-report source — $10 online total = $4 statutory locate fee (SDCL 32-34-13) + $6 online convenience fee; debit/credit card, report delivered immediately if found. Covers agencies statewide.

Open the official portal→

Source: South Dakota — South Dakota Office of Accident Records — online crash report purchase (safesd.gov). Checked 2026-07-24. Details can change — always confirm with the official source.

Step by step

Wait at least 10 days. The investigating officer has up to 3 days after finishing the investigation to forward the report to the SD Department of Public Safety, and it must be accepted into the statewide Accident Records Database. Reports are not purchasable until at least 10 days after the crash.
Gather your search info. Have either the vehicle VIN, or at least two of these three: date of the crash, the driver's last name, and the county where the crash happened. If you don't have them, call the law enforcement agency that investigated the crash.
Open the state purchase portal. Go to safesd.gov ('Buy Reports Online') and click Buy Now, which opens the South Dakota Accident Records System purchase page at sdbuy.primepublicsafety.com. Search by VIN or by your two-of-three criteria.
Pay and download. Pay the $10 total ($4 locate fee + $6 online convenience fee) by debit or credit card. If the report is on file, you receive it immediately; a reprint link is available for up to 48 hours via your confirmation number.
If you can't find it online. Request a copy directly from the county or municipal law enforcement agency that investigated (they may charge $4 per copy under SDCL 32-34-13.1), or contact the SD Office of Accident Records for help locating it.

State police / highway patrol crashes

South Dakota Highway Patrol crashes flow into the same statewide database — troopers forward their investigator's reports to the SD DPS Office of Accident Records under SDCL 32-34-10. There is no separate Highway Patrol portal: obtain an SDHP crash report the same way as any other, by purchasing it online at safesd.gov / sdbuy.primepublicsafety.com (VIN or two-of-three criteria, $10 total), or by contacting the Office of Accident Records.

Crashes handled by local police or sheriffs

Same statewide state portal. Crashes investigated by local city police and county sheriffs are forwarded to the SD Office of Accident Records under SDCL 32-34-10 and become purchasable through safesd.gov / the Prime portal (sdbuy.primepublicsafety.com) — no separate BuyCrash or Carfax vendor for SD. Alternatively, you can request a copy directly from the investigating county or municipal agency, which may collect $4 per copy under SDCL 32-34-13.1.

South Dakota counties (43)

Pick the county where your crash happened for every local agency and its exact request process:

Plus 119 statewide or specialty agencies: Aberdeen Pd, Aurora Co So, Avon Pd, Beadle Co So, Bennett Co So, Beresford Pd, Bon Homme Co So, Box Elder Pd, Brandon Pd, Bridgewater Pd , Brookings Co So, Brown Co So, and more.

After you get the report

Use the report to file or support your auto insurance claim — it documents the parties, vehicles, date/location, damage, injuries, any citations, and the officer's narrative/diagram. Review it carefully for errors (misspelled names, wrong plate/VIN, incorrect insurance info, or an inaccurate diagram or fault description); if something is wrong, contact the investigating law enforcement agency to request a correction or supplemental report.